Photos / Colin Dancel and The Sandbox Collective
After mounting critically acclaimed productions of Little Shop of Horrors: A Bloodthirsty Musical Comedy and Next to Normal, The Sandbox Collective continues its season with Side Show: The Musical this July 2025.
Set in 1930s America, Side Show: The Musical is a fictional depiction of the life and times of real-life conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, who found fame and notoriety in the vaudeville circuit in the 1920s and 1930s.
Featuring a stellar mix of Philippine theater’s veterans and rising stars, Side Show will captivate audiences with a brand new staging of the original 1997 Broadway production.
Meet the cast below:
The Hilton Twins
Alternating in the role of the conjoined twins, Violet and Daisy Hilton, are powerhouse pairs Tanya Manalang and Marynor Madamesila, and Krystal Kane and Molly Langley.
The award-winning and global artist, Tanya Manalang, stars as Violet Hilton in Side Show. She played Kim in Miss Saigon (West End, London) and originated the role of Joy in Ang Huling El Bimbo. She is a Best Actress winner (Aliw, GEMS), and has starred in The Sound of Music, The King and I, Rak of Aegis, tick, tick… Boom!, All Out of Love, and more.
A proud alumna of UP Diliman’s Theatre Arts program, Marynor Madamesila stars alongside Tanya as Daisy Hilton. She is a singer, mover, and multimedia actor. Some of her recent credits include: Walang Aray, Sandosenang Sapatos, Batang Rizal, Rak of Aegis, and Buruguduystunstugudunstuy. Madamesila is a Gawad Buhay and Aliw Award nominee for Best Lead Actress. On screen, Marynor has appeared in Pamilya Ko, Love in 40 Days, Oh, Mando!, and Beauty and the Boss.
Molly Langley takes the stage as Violet Hilton in Side Show. Trained at Performers College in the UK, Langley’s theater credits include Spring Awakening, The Wild Party, and most recently, Rent as Mimi. She is a seasoned international performer with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines. She was recently part of the sixth season of the singing competition The Clash, where she made it to the final Top 6.
Krystal Kane stars alongside Molly as Daisy Hilton. Kane has been doing professional theatre since she was 10 years old. Her previous productions include The Sound of Music, Spring Awakening, and Once On This Island. In 2019, Kane was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical at the first Philippine Leaf Awards, as well as Best Actress in a Musical Show by Broadwayworld Philippines. Kane also served as the costume stylist for The Sandbox Collective’s Lungs, Every Brilliant Thing, Bawat Bonggang Bagay, and Tiny Beautiful Things.
The Boss
Stepping into the role of The Boss is comedian, host, and TV and film actor Jon Santos, who starred in The Sandbox Collective’s sold-out runs of Bawat Bonggang Bagay. Audiences have also seen Santos in productions such as Ang Huling El Bimbo, Rak of Aegis, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Bituing Walang Ningning, and Ako si Josephine. Outside of the theatre, Santos is one of the mainstay judges of Drag Race Philippines.
Terry Connor
Alternating in the role of the press agent and Daisy’s love interest, Terry Conor, are theatre leading men Reb Atadero and CJ Navato.
Reb Atadero is an award-winning actor, singer, host, voice actor, director, and content creator. He is a Gawad Buhay Awardee for his portrayal of Michael in tick, tick… Boom! and has received nominations for his performances in The Graduate, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Ang Huling El Bimbo, Lungs, and Little Shop of Horrors. Beyond the stage, Atadero is known for his online educational content, popularizing the catchphrase “BOOM! Now you know,” which has since expanded into his very own podcast, BOOM! Now We Know!, which is streaming on Spotify.
With over 20 years in the industry, CJ Navato has captured the hearts of many on the big screen, TV, and now in the theatre. He rose to fame as a mainstay in ABS-CBN’s Goin’ Bulilit and has since appeared in various shows like Luv U, Doc Ricky, Pedia, and Dirty Linen. He was last seen on stage in Liwanag Sa Dilim Musical, One More Chance The Musical, and Charot!.
Photo / The Sandbox Collective
Buddy Foster
Sharing the role of the aspiring musician and Violet’s love interest, Buddy Foster, are leading men, Vien King and Tim Pavino.
Marking a versatile and influential decade in the arts, Vien King has earned the title Best Actor (Gawad Buhay, LEAF Awards) for Passion. He starred in Rama Hari, tick, tick… Boom!, and most recently in Liwanag Sa Dilim Musical. He also appeared in the MMFF hits Partners in Crime and Love at First Stream. King has performed internationally with Disney in Concert, and now tours Asia with The Jet Theaters.
Tim Pavino is a BroadwayWorld Award winner and a two-time Aliw Awards recipient. Pavino’s theatre experiences include Miong, The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Matilda, and Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. He has also performed with prestigious orchestras, including the BYU Chamber Orchestra, ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, Auburn Symphony Orchestra, and the Manila Symphony Orchestra, and appeared on The Voice of the Philippines under Team Lea Salonga.
Jake
Theater mainstays Marvin Ong and Joshua Cabiladas alternate in the role of Jake.
Singer-songwriter Marvin Ong earned a Gawad Buhay Award for his performance in Sweeney Todd. He also received a citation for his role in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Ong also played key roles in various productions, including The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Si Juan Tamad, ang Diyablo, at ang Limang Milyong Boto, The Sound of Music, and Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang. As a singer, Ong has released two albums under Viva Records, the first of which earned him a certified gold record status and an Aliw Award nomination.
Joshua Cabiladas is an acclaimed Filipino actor, singer, and improviser with over a decade of experience in theater, film, and music. He was most recently seen in Delia D., as well as in Jepoy and the Magic Circle, Lam-Ang, Ang Huling El Bimbo, and Himala: Isang Musikal, among others. He reprised his role in the film adaptation of Isang Himala. Cabiladas had notable performances in Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 3, Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap, Kapatiran, Ploy, Florante at Laura, and Bula sa Langit.
The Ensemble
Completing the company are the ensemble members who will take the stage as the sideshow curiosities. The Sandbox Collective is delighted to introduce the incredible ensemble comprised of: Arion Sanchez, Chan Rabutazo, Fay Castro, Daniel Wesley, Ian Hermogenes, Mikee Baskiñas, Pamela Imperial, Pappel, Raflesia Bravo, Red Nuestro, Reine Paisley, and Rhap Salazar.
Side Show: The Musical will be directed by The Sandbox Collective’s managing artistic director Toff de Venecia, with Ejay Yatco serving as musical director. Rounding out the artistic team will be Mark Dalacat as assistant director and set designer, Carlos Siongco as costume designer, Gabo Tolentino as lighting designer, JM Cabling as choreographer, and Colin Dancel as photographer.
Side Show: The Musical opens on July 26, 2025, and will run until August 16, 2025, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater, Circuit Makati. Tickets and show buying information will be released at a later date #SideShowMNL
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